Sita directs documentary for BBC Wales

Rugby in Wales. For many, it’s not just a sport. It’s a hugely significant part of Welsh culture and identity. Who do you imagine when you think of rugby players? Do you picture burly men playing in our national stadium? Or perhaps elite women? And what about furiously fast wheelchair users? Rugby is played passionately up and down the country. But is rugby truly for everyone?

We meet Mona Jethwa, a South Asian mum-of-three with a visual impairment, who until recently thought her sporting days were over… until she discovered VI (Visually Impaired) rugby.

Enjoying a range of sports in her youth, including swimming, cricket and football, Mona was diagnosed with keratoconus at age 18, which led to the gradual deterioration of her sight, leaving her unable to continue with many of the sports she loved.

Coming from London, Mona tells us how after moving to Neath with her young family, she immediately noticed how important rugby was to the people in her community. Through her work colleagues at the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), she was encouraged to go along to a VI rugby session at the Ospreys' Llandarcy Training Centre. Though apprehensive of being tackled to the ground, wrestling for the ball, she was relieved to discover that this was touch rugby, and she quickly found her stride.

Mona tells us about how rugby is adapted for those with visual impairments, and how finding the sport helped to rebuild her confidence after the onset of her sight deterioration. As someone who'd never played rugby before, she now feels proud to be representing her South Asian identity on the pitch, and hopes to inspire others from similar backgrounds to also take part in disability sport.

In this documentary, Mona explores the intersection between race and disability in sport, hearing from special guests such as Colin Charvis, the first dual-heritage captain of the Welsh rugby union team, and Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, Wales’ record-breaking Paralympic champion, who now acts as a policy-maker in her role as Chair of Sport Wales. Both share their perspectives on what is being done in Wales to increase the accessibility and inclusivity of rugby and other sports in regards to race and disability. 

Mona also travels to the Principality Stadium for a special encounter with Leif Thobroe, an elite sportsperson of dual Jamaican and Norwegian heritage. Leif shares his remarkable story of returning from a life-changing injury to retain his title as the British Kickboxing champion, before going on to join Team GB’s Para-Taekwondo squad, winning a World Bronze and European Silver medal.

Despite suffering a spinal injury (brachial plexus injury) while playing rugby, which resulted in losing the use of his right arm, Leif again defied all the odds by returning emphatically to rugby. In 2022, he represented Wales at the first-ever PDRL (Physical Disability Rugby League) World Cup, where he helped the team to a third-place finish, winning man of the match and scoring the try of the tournament in the process.

Mona and Leif compare notes on the barriers they have both faced as global majority, disabled sportspeople. They discuss how in rugby they have found an inclusive and supportive environment, providing them with camaraderie and a sense of belonging, which has helped them overcome challenges of adapting to life with a disability.

Directed by Dr Sita Thomas, ‘The Way I Play’ is an important documentary reflecting on the often overlooked intersection of disability and race in regards to participation in sport. From Mona's perspective as a community-level VI rugby player, we gain insight into the issues around representation and accessibility at different levels of rugby - from grassroots to international level - as well as discussing what is being achieved on a nation-wide scale.

With a strong message of inclusivity and a celebration of the achievements of global majority disabled athletes, ‘The Way I Play’ serves to raise awareness of and encourage participation in disability sports. It advocates for a more equitable sporting landscape in Wales, where people of all backgrounds and abilities can thrive and make their mark.